Portable and adjustable track.



A. E. KINTNER.

PORTABLE AND ADJUSTABLE TRACK.

APPLICATION FILED 001*.14, 1912.

1,076,044, Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

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PATENT OFFICE.

ALC'UIN E. KINTNER, F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

PORTABLE AND ADJUSTABLE TRACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

Application filed October 14, i912. Serial No. 725,662,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALoUm E. Km'rnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and a State. of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable and Adjustable Tracks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will '10 enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to combination portable and adjustable tracks for railways, the object being to form a track in sections which can be easily and quickly secured together to form a permanent way or a temporary way, the sections bein so adapted to each other and so formed t at when assembled in proper relation they will form either a straight track or way or a curved track or way of level or inclined grade; as a matter of fact the sections may be so assembled so as to form a track along an uneven road or way with any suitable curvature adapting this railway for the purpose of loading and unloading of freight on or from vessels or boats directly from and onto cars for shipment. The track is adapted to be placed or laid along wharfs or docks and from thence in to the hold or freight compartmcnts of the vessel or boats inasmuch as it will adapt itself to all curvatures necessary for this purpose. The peculiar construction of this track allows of the same assuming any grade necessary and allows the track to conform to the varying grade caused by the raising and lowering of a boat during the raising and lowering of the tide or the loading and unloading of the boat when the track is employed in the loading and unloading of vessels.

It will be noted that as constructed and shown in the drawings this track is designed in its tread portion for the use in connection with cars or trucks made in accordance with Letters Patent issued to myself Numbcrs 938,490 and 1,024,084, dated November 2nd, 1909, and April 23, 1912, respectively.

This invention consists in the track as a whole and also in the peculiar construction of the different sections and parts, all of which will be hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1, is a plan view 56 of a portion of a track showing the same laid ,in sections with different curvatures and a 'portion of the same laid straight, illustrating the manner of assemblin the different sections for this purpose. 'fhis view also shows the manner of locking the sections togcther. Fig. II is an isometric view of a section of a track. Fig. III, is a top plan view of a track section. Fig. IV, is a side view of a number of sections united showing the manner of mountin the clamp plates at the abutting edges: 0 the sections when found necessary. i V, is an isometric view of a clam plate adapted to support the abutting e gcs of the sections. Fig. V1, is a view like unto Fig. V, showing a smaller clamp designed to be used on the inside of the curved track. Fig. VII, is a segmental portion in isometric showing the preferred shape of the coupling means and showing the manner of placing the clamp plates.

The sections of which the track is formed may be made of a sin le piece with tread portions 1 and 2 unite by a tie bar 3, the :entire structure being made or formed of metal, or the tie bar 3 may be made separate and united to the tread portions 1 and 2 in any suitable manner, it being understood that the length of the tie bar 3 establishes the gage of the track which I prefer to make of a standard width or gage.

In forming the tread portions 1 and 2 I have shown them as designed for use in connection with cars or trucks constructed according to my patents above mentioned, but of course I do not limit this invention to such construction as any type of tread portion may be used.

As illustrated, the tread portions are formed each with two outwardl projecting flanges 4, 4, and 5, 5, making interchangeable tread portions, these flanges being slightly projected beyond the body of the tread portion for the side flanges of the wheels, leaving a grooved wav 6 between the flanges 4, 4, and 5, 5, for the engagement of the traction increasing wheels of my former patents above cited.

It will be noticed that in order to adapt the sections to form the different curves I have formed the tread portion 1, at one and larger or rather longer than the tread portion 2, with the meeting edges alined so as to conform with any of the meeting edges of a contiguous section regardless as to whether two of the larger ends as at 7, are placed together or as to whether the larger and smaller ends are alternated as at 9, 9, or as to whether two of the smaller ends as at 8, are placed together.

In order that the sections may be held together in a strong and yet flexible manner I have designed a locking device which comprises cylindrical headed flanges 10, located at one of the meeting edges of each of the tread portions 1 and 2 which are preferably made of greater diameter at their central portion (see Fig. VII). The opposite meeting edges are provided with slots or keepers 11, 11,-

adapted to receive the flanges 10, 10, freely yet firmly; the enlarged ortion or double ta ered construction of t e flanges 10, 10, a1 ows each section a slight play in angular relation to a contiguous Section thus a lowing for the u and down dw and allowin the trac to flex an adapt itself to di erent grades and inclinations as required when unloading vessels to accommodate the raising and lowering of the vessel caused by the tide movement or by the varied weight of the freight in moving the same from or into the vessel.

As illustrated in Figs. IV, V, and VI, I have provided means for retaining the tread portion of the contiguous sections in alinement, (especially where the track passes over an uneven or rough surface,) which comprises clamp plates 12 adapted to engage and embrace the lower flanges of the tread portions at the contiguous or meeting edges of the sections, the longer arm of the plate passes underneath the track and directly beneath the joint of the sections, thus forming the rest supporting the sections at this point, forming as it'were, a fish plate which 1s removable and while it is not necessary at all times to employ this plate it may become necessary under certain conditions in cases Where the track is laid over rough and uneven surfaces.

The manner of laying the track is self apparent; if a straight track is to be laid as at 9, 9, the smaller ends and the larger ends alternate; for quick or short curves several of the smaller ends are placed together or contiguous at the inner side of the track with the larger ends on the outer circle of the track. This curve may be modified by inserting at predetermined points a section laid in opposite manner. A return curve or opposite curve is formed by reversing the sections. It will be seen that the sections are so constructed as to adapt either the top or bottom surface being used as traction surfaces thus giving even wear and longer life to the sections.

In setting forth this invention I have shown and described this construction as adapted for the purpose of loading and unloading ships or vessels as above set forth and in connection with the use of my previously issued patents as above mentioned but it is ap arent that the use of the track is unhmite and that these sections may form a track to be used for and in connection with any wheeled conveyance. I have also shown one method of constructing the locks and the location of the same but it will be easily seen that the location may be changed and the structure modified without departing from this invention.

What I claim is:

1. A track comprising sections formed with integral tread portlons on both ends, said tread portions being of different lengths with means for locking said Sections together.

2. A track of the t pe set forth comprising sections connec together, the connection of said sections being such as to allow a slight play between these sections, in combination with clamp plates adapted to be placed at the meeting edges of said sections.

3. A section of a track formed with a tread portion on both ends united by a tie bar, a male locking portion at one side of each tread portion and a female portion at the opposite side whereby the section is adjusta e and interchangeable.

4. A section of a track formed with tread portions at each end andunited by a tie bar, said tread portions of one end being longer than the tread portions of the opposite end.

5. A portable section of a track formed with an integral tread portion at each end and united by a tie bar, each section adapted to be connected to a contiguous section of like construction.

6. A section of a track formed with tread portions at each end thereof, said tread portions being connected by a tie bar, the upper and lower surface of said section being made alike and ada ted to be employed in the construction and use of said track.

7. A section of a track comprising a tie bar, a tread portion located at each end of said tie bar, said tread portion comprising a base, a flange extending outwardly from the upper edge of said base, said flange provid ing a traction surface for traction increasing means'substantially as described.

8. A section of track comprising a tie bar, tread portions located at each end of said tie bar, said tread portions comprising a base, flanges extending outwardly from the extreme edges of said base, said flanges adapted to provide traction surfaces on their inner surfaces for traction increasing means, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. A section of a railway track, said sections being formed of tread portions, said portions being connected by means of a tie bar, one tread portion being longer than the tread portion of the opposite end of said tie bar, tread portions located one above the other and in oppositely disposed planes, out- 5 Wardly extending flanges located on the tread portionsand adapted to form traction surfaces for traction increasing means, means for locking said section to a contiguous section, said means comprising a male 10 portion and a female portion adapted to receive said male portion, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Cleveland in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio this 25th day 15 September 1912.

ALCUIN E. KINTNER.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. DONNELLY, A. B. DONNELLY. 

